(WMC-TV) - Collegedale became first city in the state to offer benefits to same-sex domestic partners of city workers. The city of about 6,500 residents just east of Chattanooga adopted the proposal MondayMore >>

Collegedale became first city in the state to offer benefits to same-sex domestic partners of city workers.More >>

(WMC-TV) - Across Tennessee, same-sex couples are taking a stance for their right to marry in the volunteer state. They all attempted to file for a marriage license, but Wednesday was not just a failure in their eyes.

Standing at the bottom of the stairs inside the Shelby County Clerk's Office, Chris Snow and Aaron Thompson were ready to apply for a marriage license.

"We matter. We're the same as just everybody else," said Snow.

They two have been together for 13 years.

"In Washington D.C. three years ago we got married so we would like for the state to recognize it," said Thompson.

All the while knowing the state of Tennessee does not allow same sex couples to get married, they tried anyway.

"We know we're going to get denied a marriage license we're not surprised by that ... Really expecting that ... But just to show that we're being denied a right that we should have," said Snow.

Sure enough, they were denied. The same thing happened for Amy Barton and her fiancé Lyndsay Gray.

"My fiancé and I are already engaged and we have plans for a commitment ceremony in October of 2014, and we feel that it's very important for us to be legally recognized in the state we reside ... For our children, for our medical insurance ... All the other rights are provided to heterosexual couples," said Barton. "I'm desperately in love with her, and I want to spend my life with her. She is a great parent to our kids. It might be a demonstration to some people, but it's certainly not to us."

The Tennessee Equality Project organized Wednesday's statewide event. It was intended to raise awareness about lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender couples' inability to marry in Tennessee.

"We know that we're fighting an uphill battle. We know that at least if we get a conversation started then we're starting that first step into fighting that battle," said Thompson.

Both couples say they expect to be federally recognized and eventually file taxes together after DOMA was struck down, however the future in TN is uncertain.

Fred Guttenberg, the father of Jaime Guttenberg, one of the 17 killed last week in Parkland, FL, pressed Sen. Marco Rubio on the role of guns and assault weapons in the shooting during a CNN town hall event on Wednesday, Feb. 21. (Source: CNN)

Senator Marco Rubio faced a barrage of tough questioning related to gun control and the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Florida at a CNN town hall event on Wednesday.